20240910 Spare LED Tester

20240910 Spare LED Tester

I do have tools. But just because I was an Engineer does not mean that I have a lot of tools but just the opposite. I only the necessary tools to do a specific Job. A decade after the turn of the Century, the change of Job Description requires me to re-evaluate my tools. Many more years after that, most of my tools has been relegated to storage with the exception of a few. The only constant were the soldering iron and flux, the de-soldering pump, the cutter and the multimeter. Because of my Hobby, I tend to have two sets of the same but now, it is mostly just one of each.

One thing I could never be without would be the LED tester. It always nearby and does solve a lot of issues in a pinch. Except after the Move. I did not realise I have forgotten the LED Tester until I needed it last week. My backup, which is the analogue multi-meter was also nowhere to be seen. Technically, both are nearby but the question was, in which box?

Because of the 9.9 offer on Shopee, I decided to get another LED Tester. I always find myself buying backup tools once in a while and this is no exception. They do wear out especially when I am on manufacturing mode. So, the only tools that does not have backups are still the (rusting) soldering iron stand and the pair of nice, sharp cutters.

If memory serves me correctly, I’ve been using this since the turn of the century after weaning myself off analog multimeters. The original on the left is actually beige in colour and after years of use, it has gotten slightly darker.
These LED Testers are a boon when it comes to determining the condition of most DIP LEDs. The bank of resistors at the top gives the much needed amount of current from the 9volt battery, using the Ohm’s Law. By original (left) has aged quite a lot and you can see that some of the plastic parts have broken off, no thanks to the 9volt battery clip which is bulging for unknown reasons. It has started to be slightly brittle.
20240910 Spare LED Tester
After a brief test, this will be kept until it is needed. If you look closely at both testers, the orientation (far right) of the Piranha LED is wrong. The notch is pointing to the bottom right while the actual LED’s is pointing to the bottom left.
Posted in A Piscean Works Blog, Electronics, Lighting, Tools.

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